The experimental investigation of the unidirectional motion characterizing photoisomerization single-molecule rotary motors requires accessible lab prototypes featuring an electronic circular dichroism (ECD) signal that is sensitive to geometrical and changes occurring during ultrafast reactive process. Here we report a combined experimental/computational study candidate obtained via asymmetriz...

Investigating and deciphering the dynamics of photoswitchable foldamers provides a detailed understanding of their photoinduced conformational transitions, resembling similar processes in photoresponsive biomacromolecules. We studied the ultrafast dynamics of the photoisomerization of azobenzene moieties embedded in a foldamer backbone and the resulting conformational helix-coil transition by t...

Understanding how to control reaction dynamics of polyatomic systems by using ultrafast laser technology is a fundamental challenge of great technological interest. Here, we report a Floquet theoretical study of the effect of light-induced potentials on the ultrafast cis-trans photoisomerization dynamics of rhodopsin. The Floquet Hamiltonian involves an empirical 3-state 25-mode model with freq...

Phenylazopyridines are photoisomerizable compounds with high potential to control biological functions with light. We have obtained a series of phenylazopyridines with light dependent activity as negative allosteric modulators (NAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5). Here we describe the factors needed to achieve an operational molecular photoisomerization and its effective t...

An understanding of the photoisomerization mechanism of molecules bound to a metal surface at the molecular scale is required for designing photoswitches at surfaces. It has remained a challenge to correlate the surface structure and isomerization of photoswitches at ambient conditions. Herein, the photoisomerization of a self-assembled monolayer of azobenzene-thiol molecules on a Au surface wa...

Phytochromes constitute a superfamily of photoreceptor proteins existing in two forms that absorb red (Pr) and far-red (Pfr) light. Although it is well-known that the conversion of Pr into Pfr (the biologically active form) is triggered by a Z→E photoisomerization of the linear tetrapyrrole chromophore, direct evidence is scarce as to why this reaction always occurs at the methine bridge betwee...

Both the reversible trans<-->cis photoisomerization and slow thermal back cis-to-trans isomerization of azobenzene-functionalized self-assembled monolayers on gold surfaces have been achieved by rationally designed single-component azobenzene thiol.

A lipophilic linear FeII 1,2,4-triazole complex containing azobenzene chromophores forms molecular wires in organic solvents; photoisomerization of azobenzene units induced morphological changes that lead to reversible, macroscopic gel-to-sol transition phenomena.

Tandem ion mobility mass spectrometry-coupled laser excitation is used to record photodetachment, photoisomerization and photodepletion action spectra for a series of deprotomer-selected hydroxycinnamate anions, including deprotonated caffeic, ferulic sinapinic acids. This molecular accounts most hydroxycinnamic moieties found in nature. Phenoxide deprotomers para ortho structural isomers have ...